


Settling

by Lady_Arrowwood, RadiantSeraphina (Lady_Arrowwood)



Category: Kirby (Video Games), Kirby - All Media Types
Genre: Family Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Friendship, Future Fic, Gen, Mindless Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 18:49:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7280512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Arrowwood/pseuds/Lady_Arrowwood, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Arrowwood/pseuds/RadiantSeraphina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Future-Fic. When puffballs reach a certain age, they lose the power to copy abilities. Kirby's time has come, but choosing a power doesn't frighten them nearly as much as disappointing Meta Knight or King Dedede.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Settling

**Author's Note:**

> Something light and fluffy to break up all the horrifically grim things I've been writing. Enjoy~

Kirby gasped and woke, with flailing paws, and clawed for comprehension. The world was too-bright and too-hot. There wasn't enough air to cool the fire burning Kirby's stomach and skin. Suddenly, Bandanna Dee’s mouth was on theirs. Sharing—Kirby groggily noted. The pain lightened, replaced with disorientation. “Just a moment,” the waddle dee said soothingly. “I have to tend to Meta Knight.”

 

Meta Knight? What happened to Meta Knight? Kirby slowly and numbly lifted their head, which felt light and strangely disconnected. The knight was several feet away, blood spattered on his armor and Galaxia held loosely in his paw. One wing was torn and crooked, held tenderly at the knight’s side. Dedede stood nearby and took out a scarfy with _far_ more aggression than necessary. Kirby’s paws brushed against something wet and cold. Ice? There was _ice_? It wasn't heat. It was  _cold_.

 

Dimly, Kirby watched Bandanna Dee heal Meta Knight. The memories came slowly, like night creeping over sunset. They were looking for the pieces of a tiara for a usurped princess. She needed them to regain her throne from a wicked sorcerer. It meant going through Frosty Furrows, where there was ice and wind and cold. There’d been a massive snowball, and they’d been running…across massive icebergs, slick with salt-spray, and then—Kirby groaned. “I hit the Sleep pedestal, didn’t I?”

 

Kirby stumbled upright and caught Meta Knight’s gaze. “Nova’s grace, you tried to save me, didn’t you?” Kirby asked, “And you got hurt. Meta, I’m—”

 

“It wasn’t entirely your fault,” Meta Knight said, slowly walking over. “It’s partly mine. I should’ve said something, but I didn’t expect this to happen so early. I thought we had more time, and I would've told you sooner, but I didn't want to frighten you."

 

“What?” Kirby asked, wondering how Meta Knight could've possibly know about the Sleep pedestal and why Kirby would've been  _afraid_ of it.

 

“You’re settlin’,” Dedede cut in.

 

“Settling?” Bandanna Dee asked.

 

“You’d have been fine," Meta Knight said, "If Sleep had worn off like it was supposed to, but it didn’t. So yes, I swooped down to grab you, and I slipped on the ice. We landed on spikes."

 

Far below the surface of the iceberg, Kirby could barely make out the glistening spikes of ice. “And _then_ y’all were crushed by a giant snowball,” Dedede said. 

 

Meta Knight cast Dedede a withering glare. “We were. Fortunately, you were injured enough to knock the Sleep power-up out of you,” Meta Knight said. “Otherwise, there would’ve been little we could do.”

 

“Wh-what do you mean?” Kirby asked.

 

Meta Knight wrapped his cape around himself. “When you reach a certain age, you lose your ability to inhale. It’s called settling, so you must be careful. The next power you copy might be your last one.”

 

Kirby’s breath hitched. “Wh-what? I—I have to choose _one_? Out of all of them?”

 

Meta Knight nodded. Kirby was at a loss for words, and an awkward silence settled. They didn’t want to understand. They wanted Meta Knight to reveal it was all an elaborate joke—even though Meta Knight would never do something so cruel. One power for the rest of their life. How was that possible? What if Kirby  _hadn't_ had Sleep knocked out of them? Ice seemed to settle in Kirby's very core. That was why Meta Knight had never inhaled, wasn't it? The knight always said he'd explain someday, and that day had come. 

 

King Dedede laughed heartily, in a transparent attempt to break the suffocating quiet around them all. “Well, obviously, they’re choosin’ hammer!” Dedede declared. “It’s the best of them all!”                   

 

“Nonsense. They’re going to choose Sword, so they can wield Galaxia after me,” Meta Knight said, clearly grateful that someone had spoken and over-eager to keep the conversation going; silence made Meta Knight strangely uneasy, for reasons Kirby had never discovered. “If you want someone to use the hammer, you need to get to work on some heirs.”

 

“It isn’t my fault you’re shirkin' in your duty of findin' me a suitable queen,” Dedede replied, crossing his arms.

 

“Have you actually been looking for queens?” Kirby asked, trying to imagine what that would be like.

 

Although Dedede had been besotted with the Fairy Queen of Ripple Star, it was still strange to imagine him married to a queen and as a father to children. Kirby immediately tried to picture Meta Knight dealing with a flock of fluffy, baby Dedede’s. It was a cute image, and Kirby—where did they fit in? Would Kirby even _matter_ , if they no longer had the Copy ability? The ability that had been Dreamland’s salvation again and again? Surely, Kirby wouldn’t be tossed aside for losing it; at some point, Meta Knight, too, must’ve lost the Copy powers, right? And _he_ was Dedede’s best knight. 

 

But Kirby lacked the confidence and aura of intrigue that Meta Knight carried with him. The level of intimidation. Anyone would be in awe of Meta Knight, and for all their powers, Kirby doubted they could ever reach the same level of sheer coolness and elegance that Meta Knight achieved.

 

“I have been looking for a suitable queen,” Meta Knight replied, cutting into Kirby’s thoughts, “But it’s been…difficult. Dedede’s kind lived primarily on another star, and that star was abandoned after falling to Nightmare.”

 

“Well, that ain't a surprise,” Dedede said. “That’s why my parents came to Popstar. To escape him.”

 

“A pity,” Bandanna Dee said.

 

Dedede frowned. “That my parents fled here?”

 

“No. That you’re looking for queens. I always thought we’d have a prince-consort,” Bandanna Dee replied.

 

The king looked taken aback. “Who'd you have in mind?”

 

“Anyway…we’re not standing in the safest place, especially since Kirby can no longer use Copy abilities. We need to move out,” Meta Knight said, launching himself into the air. “Kirby, keep close, and let us know if you need any help.”

 

Kirby winced; they’d become the deadweight in the group. Immediately, Bandanna Dee edged towards Kirby and blinked slowly, the way waddle dees did when they wanted to show affection. “Don’t worry, Kirby,” the waddle dee whispered. “It’ll work out in the end. It always does.”

 

How could they not worry? Soon, their powers would be gone. How could Kirby possibly choose one of _hundreds_ of powers? How could they choose Sword over Ice? Hammer over Mirrror? And there were strong powers and _fun_ powers. Stone wasn’t as offensive as Hammer, but it was fun to take different shapes and to flatter their friends.

 

“Did he mean _you_?” Dedede burst out, pointing accusingly at Meta Knight.

 

“Why are you asking _me_?”

 

Meta Knight flew backwards a few paces. Dedede grinned broadly and leaned forward, batting his eyes. “Are you playin’ hard to get, dearest, sweet Mety Knight?” he joked.

 

“Please, you couldn’t catch me if you wanted to.”

 

“Wanna bet? Race you to the end,” Dedede said.

 

Meta Knight’s gaze drifted to Kirby, who nodded curtly. “I’ll beat you all,” the younger puffball said. “Try me!”

 

“And go!” Dedede shouted, leaping from a block of ice.

 

Meta Knight growled and raced after him, quickly overcoming the king. Kirby floated away from the ice, before breaking into a sprint, aware of Bandanna Dee just behind. Kirby just wasn’t as fast without a power! If they’d had Leaf, Tornado, or Jet…

 

How were they supposed to choose?

 

* * *

 

 

The next day, Kirby woke early and made the long journey to their second-favorite tree in all of Dreamland. Whispy Woods was Kirby’s favorite tree, but the forest guardian was notoriously volatile. It was impossible to know whether he’d tolerate Kirby’s presence or hurl apples at them, but that wasn’t something Kirby wanted to chance. Instead, Kirby settled beneath a large, leaf-filled tree, on a hill overlooking Castle Dedede; it was Meta Knight's favorite place to read. It was peaceful there, with the faintest breeze stirring the treetop and faint whispers of a nearby brook. It was imperative that Kirby choose the best power, the best to defend such a beautiful place. So, Kirby spent the day listing all the Copy abilities. Process of elimination. That was the scientific way of doing it, right? Meta Knight would approve.

 

No, Meta Knight would want Kirby to choose the sword, like he had. Kirby sighed and gazed dolefully at the list. Of all the people Kirby feared of disappointing, Meta Knight was at the top of the list. While Kirby called everyone _friend_ , that wasn’t quite true of Meta Knight. Or rather, Kirby didn’t _feel_ like Meta Knight was their friend. It was more like…mentor. Or father figure.

 

Kirby considered choosing Sword. It wasn’t a _bad_ power, per se. When Meta Knight died—Kirby winced—Galaxia would have a swordsman to champion her cause. But that would disappoint Dedede, who’d correctly noted that Hammer had more raw power _and_ the potential to set things ablaze. Sword did not. The king would be so thrilled, if Kirby became a hammer lord like him! But that would be choosing King Dedede over Meta Knight. How could anyone choose between those two? 

 

There were other options, of course. UFO was the most powerful ability, and Kirby doubted Meta Knight or Dedede would fault them for choosing it. That might be a good compromise. It was a fun power, too, but…but it wasn’t as fun as Bell. Or Water! They’d forgotten about Water—and Circus! But what about Archer and Whip? Kirby _really_ liked wearing hats. The puffball sighed and crumpled up the list.

 

Kirby rubbed their face and sighed. Sleep was no good, obviously. That was one power down. Ball was probably a poor choice. That was two eliminated out of dozens, and it’d only taken Kirby all day. With a sigh, Kirby trudged back to their house. What would be useful for all of them—for Meta Knight, for King Dedede, and for Bandanna Dee? For the good of Dreamland? Kirby could probably rule out Light. Three down. Dozens to go.

 

When Kirby reached their house, they heard muted laughter drift through the walls. Kirby froze, paw on the door. Someone was in their house and evidently having a very enjoyable time. Kirby had never had anyone…break in. Was it a break in? Did thieves _laugh_ when they broke in? Should Kirby go in anyway, even without a Copy ability? Kirby scowled at the door. The puffball wasn’t a coward! They opened the door slowly. Caution quickly gave way to relief and bewilderment.

 

Dedede lounged on Kirby’s tiny bed, taking up a ridiculous amount of space and looking comically too large. One paw was propped up against his cheek, while his other paw lazily stroked Meta Knight’s wings. Kirby, knowing of Meta Knight's general wariness towards physical affection, wondered _just_ how much coaxing it'd taken Dedede to get Meta Knight to allow such a thing. The knight, himself, sat on the floor, though he’d placed Kirby’s favorite pillow underneath him. When Kirby entered, Meta Knight quickly straightened and shifted his wings away. “Hello, Kirby,” the knight said.

 

“Bout time you came home, kiddo,” Dedede said. “We’ve been waitin’ a while.”

 

“Why are you in my house?” Kirby asked. “You guys never come here.”

 

“We thought you might want some time by yourself, but we also really wanted to talk to you. So rather than seeking you out, we chose to wait for you,” Meta Knight replied.

 

Kirby swallowed. “Oh.”

 

Meta Knight stood and wrapped himself in his cape, nodding for Kirby to take his place on the pillow. “We won’t keep you long,” Meta Knight said.

 

Slowly, Kirby sat on the abandoned pillow. “Right. So, Kirbs, it’s time for the talk,” Dedede said.

 

Kirby was going to _die_. “Th-the talk? We’re going to talk about inter—”

 

Dedede bolted upright and waved his paws frantically. “No, no, no! That’s all Meta Knight. I ain’t gettin’ involved in _any_ of that! Can you just imagine how awkward us talkin’ about that would be? An' I don't even understand most of your biology! No. I meant your _settlin’_.”

 

“Although, our kind is capable of changing our sex, depending on certain environmental and chemical factors,” Meta Knight said, “So you might note some changes.”

 

“I might wake one morning and have—”

 

“Not quite like that, Kirby. You do have control over it.”

 

“Did you ever…?” Kirby asked, unsure if that was an appropriate question.

 

“No, but that doesn’t mean you can’t, if you so desire.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Kirby sighed. “This is a lot to take in,” they said. “I—I already have to choose a power, and now I can—I can change…”

 

“Yeah, it wasn’t nearly this hard for me growin’ up,” Dedede replied, with a nervous chuckle. “My kind doesn’t do much in the way of transformin’ and changin’. We just get bigger. But you’ll get through it. Mety Knight did, and look at him! He’s servin’ my magnificent self! An’ you get giant wings!”

 

“You do,” Meta Knight said. "The wings  _are_ really great."

 

“But how did you decide everything?” Kirby asked. “About—about your powers and sex and stuff?”

 

Meta Knight and Dedede exchanged a glance. “I never really wanted to change my sex,” Meta Knight replied slowly, “But my powers…”

 

“He didn’ get to decide,” Dedede said. “He—”

 

“The short story is that I’m defective,” Meta Knight said, giving Dedede an indecipherable look. “There’s little need to dredge up the past.”

 

Kirby’s heart ached. “Meta—”

 

Meta Knight waved a dismissive hand. “You don’t need to comfort me, Kirby. I’ve come to terms with what happened. I took up the sword because I wanted to be a knight and protect others from being hurt like I had, and I don’t regret that. But this is your choice to make, Kirby,” Meta Knight said.

 

“Yeah,” Dedede said. “Just know that I ain’t gonna go easy on you, if you choose some useless power like Sleep. I still expect you to be my arch-nemesis, so you better at least go with somethin’ strong.”

 

Were they saying it was fine? Kirby frowned. “But Galaxia…” they said, turning to Meta Knight.

 

“Was without a champion long before I came along,” Meta Knight assured them. “She’d never want you to devote yourself to her, unless that was really what you wanted. If you don’t want to be a swordsman, it’s fine. You’ll have a much better time of defending Popstar, if you’re also doing something you enjoy.”

 

Kirby hesitated. “An—and you won’t be upset?”

 

“Not at all,” Meta Knight replied. “Take all the time you want to decide, and choose what power you most desire. Don't worry about me."

 

“Yeah, besides, we can always make the waddle dees start hammer-trainin’ and sword-fightin’,” Dedede said, with a shrug. “Most of the dees can learn those with a lotta work, but most cain’t use Leaf or Ice or whatnot."

 

“That’s right,” Meta Knight said, “So even though I would be thrilled if you chose Sword, I’ll be just as pleased if you choose anything else. You don’t have to worry about impressing us.”

 

Dedede grinned and nodded encouragingly. Kirby felt their face warm, as they looked between the king and knight. “I love you,” Kirby said. “Both of you. I—I’m so grateful for your support and everything.”

 

Meta Knight hummed and nodded. Dedede winked. “Well, I guess you’re kind of loveable, too, for a pink menace,” the king said.

 

“That’s what friends do, Kirby,” Meta Knight replied. “Just remember that we’re proud of you, and we’ll be proud of you, regardless of what path you choose to take in life.”

 

Kirby smiled and looked at the ceiling, feeling warm and light. Kirby felt indescribably grateful, but surely, Dedede and Meta Knight knew. It’d still be difficult to choose a single power out of them all, but it was easier knowing they had the support of their friends. And always would.

 

 

 


End file.
